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Credit & Copyright: Jiajie
Zhang
Explanation:
Fading now as it returns to the outer solar system
Comet Lovejoy
(C/2013 R1) still graces planet Earth's sky,
a delicate apparition in
binoculars
or small telescopes.
The comet, a relic
of the solar system's
formative years, is seen here rising in the morning twilight on January 12
among the stars of
Ophiuchus,
the Serpent Bearer.
Posing near the comet is bright star Alpha Ophiuchi, also
known
as Rasalhague, from Arabic "the head of the serpent collector".
Of course, the serpentine shape below is the ancient
Great Wall of China,
along the
Panlongshan
section northeast of Beijing.
Panlongshan is translated as "a coiled dragon".
A moving and fortuitous scene, it was captured with a digital camera and
telephoto lens in two consecutive exposures.
The exposures were merged to show a natural looking foreground
and twilight sky.
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: comet
Publications with words: comet
See also:
- APOD: 2026 May 12 Á The Conjunction of Comet R3 PanSTARRS and the Orion Nebula
- APOD: 2026 May 8 Á Comet R3 PanSTARRS Before Rigel
- APOD: 2026 April 20 Á Comet R3 PanSTARRS over a Himalayan Valley
- APOD: 2026 April 18 Á PanSTARRS and Planets
- APOD: 2026 April 14 Á The Long Wispy Tail of Comet R3 (PanSTARRS)
- APOD: 2026 April 12 Á Comet R3 PanSTARRS Brightens
- APOD: 2026 February 17 Á Tails of Comet Wierzchoå